Media release from the Rome Emperors:
Drew Compton’s two-for-three day at the plate and Ambioris Tavarez’s stellar day defensively were not enough Tuesday night, as the First-Half Champions in the North took game one, 5-2.
Rome was off and rolling in the first inning after a leadoff single from Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. and Drew Compton’s RBI double down the right field line. Mitch Farris wouldn’t get into trouble until the top of the fourth when a leadoff triple from Greensboro’s Mitch Jebb put a runner on third for the South Atlantic League’s home run leader, Shawn Ross. Ross wouldn’t leave the park but a fly ball to deep right would score Jebb from third. Farris’ full count pitch to Duce Gourson struck Gourson in the back the very next at-bat and would come back to bite the lefty as P.J. Hilson homered for the 11th time this summer to make it 3-1 ‘Hoppers.
Farris rebounded by tossing two shutout innings and turned in a quality start of 6.0 innings. Jared Johnson was called upon to get six outs across the seventh and eighth innings but would cede two earned runs in the eighth and come up and out short of getting through two.
Trailing 5-1 entering the bottom of the ninth, Rome would muster three of their eight hits in the waning moments of the game, including an RBI single from Justin Janas. Jace Grady would ground out with the bases loaded to end the ball game, however.
The series with Greensboro resumes Wednesday at 7:00pm EDT.
